education choice. current and former students, parents and teachers as well as lawmakers talked about their education experiences and how they believe school choice or by better opportunities for students. president trump commented on the department of justice's report. >> thank you, very much. the ig report just came out and i was briefed on it. it is a disgrace what happened with respect to the things that were done to our country. it should never again happen to another presidents. it is incredible. far worse than i would ever have thought possible. and it is an embarrassment to our country. it is dishonest.

it is everything that a lot of people thought it would be except far worse. i am going to get some very detailed briefings but it is a very sad day when i see that. a very sad day when a lot of people see that. it was concocted. waswhat you want, it probably something that is never happened in the history of our country. i think you were able to look at some of the report and could address a little of it very well. i would like to also ask kellyanne. career lawus who are enforcement are outraged and i think the american people should be terrified that this could happen to you. in a society live

of integrity and honesty. ais happened -- this could be -- this should be a good day but it is not. that they could fabricate and om ity emails, lie, and is a the tory evidence in order to continue this witchhunt against the president of the united rates. and this is the tip of the iceberg. now, we have to continue the investigation. >> thank you, very much. >> i was the campaign manager during that time. why not contact the trump campaign? contact candidate trump or governor pence? [indiscernible]

you cannot blame people for feeling this was unfair. liedo think that people and tried to subvert democracy just because they wanted someone else to win -- that is not the way that the world views democracy and how we can survive. something -- that this was not a truthful investigation into the president. language to any of us. [indiscernible] usnly wish they had informed so we would've had the knowledge and wherewithal to react. thank you. >> they fabricated evidence and they lied to the court's and they did all sorts of things to have it go their way.

that we canething never allowed to have happen again. the report, especially when you look into the details of the report, are far worse then i could ever have imagined. what they were doing and what they would have done had i not made a certain move which was very important. even worse ifbeen that is possible. and they might have been able to succeed. this was an attempted overthrow of government and a lot of people were in on it and they got caught. they got caught red-handed. i look forward to the durham report which is coming out in the not-too-distant future. he has his own information which is misinformation plus, plus, plus. it is an incredible thing that happened and we are lucky that we caught it. i think i will put this down as

one of our greatest achievements. what we found and what we saw -- never, ever should this happen again in our country. with that, we gathered today to discuss the urgent national priority that we have been like -- that we have been working on for so long, expanding educational freedom. we are grateful to be joined by vice president mike pence, secretary betsy devos, senators tom -- ted cruz, representative bradley byrne, ron desantis, dan patrick, pennsylvania house speaker mike turner is a, tennessee state representative and students, parents, and teachers from across the nation. some brilliant students are with us. we will be having a session. -- iesident, i am finding am fighting every day for the forgotten american. we are looking past criminal justice reform.

we got that done. criminal justice reform. they could never have done it without me. it was done by us. they have been trying to get it or many years. president obama would not do it or could not get it done. maybe that means the same thing. but i got criminal justice reform done. the press was dashed the press does not want to mention that. we had a lot of help including from likely. -- from mike lee. it worked out. it is working out very well. a big step and we are proud of it. i think when you look at the african-american community in particular, they are the biggest beneficiaries of criminal justice reform so we are honored to have helped. we passed the criminal justice reform and the legislation to target distressed communities.

our economy is lifting up citizens of every background. you saw the new reports coming out on unemployment. the best way of ever had. the best this country has ever had. unemploymentowest in the history of our country for african americans, asian americans, hispanic americans. and overall, we are just about going to break the overall record. fight fore time to the forgotten child and that is what we are doing with respect to education. they have been trapped in failing government schools and with my administration, these children are forgotten no longer. we have the strongest economy probably in the history of our country. the numbers came out as you saw on friday with a number of jobs that no one believed possible. over 200,000. some people thought it would be

50,000 or 60,000. you saw how badly canada did. 266,000. canada had an unbelievable period and is going through something and yet we are right there. the whole world is not doing well and we are doing phenomenally well. we are the hottest economy in the world. we are doing great. and frankly, it is hard to believe that we could do better but if the world was doing better, we could do better. that is the way it is set up. we have made tremendous progress in the last three years. we have the hottest economy in the world by far. nobody close. look at europe, asia, china is having a hard time. we are doing well with china with our trade deal. they are having the worst time since -- 57 years.

and yet we do record-breaking numbers. we broke the stock market record. i believe it is 132 times during the course of three years as president so that is something. fantastic, you did a job. everyone is talking about it in a very positive way so congratulations. he is a hater. definitely. that came out loud and clear. lawmakers in 44 states, and in puerto rico havel empowered some parents to choose a better future for their children. come wait lists are growing and sadly not everyone wants to give the students the educational freedom that they deserve. they are locked into a school system that is terrible. betsy is working on this full-time. .0 hours a day that is what she does.

school choice, wait lists are growing. that is an incredible factor. everybody wants school choice. we have certain groups that are powerfully against that but we are breaking through very strongly. the pennsylvania governor denied 50,000 kids the promise of a better school. onrida governor ron desantis the other hand got 14,000 florida students off the wait lists. are ridiculous. they are still very long. to ron desantis of florida. we believe every parent should have educational freedom for their children. earlier this year, i asked congress to pass a federal tax credit to support state based scholarship programs so we could provide one million more students with school choice. people want school choice.

they want to have their child go to a school where they want the child to go to. it is very simple. i look forward to hearing from each of you today to discuss the things that have happened in the last few years. some great successes. this is a tough subject because it has been ground in. whether it works or does not work, the areas that do not work, people want to calm. calome.e want to we are ranked 36 in the world and yet we spend more per pupil than anyone else in the world. mike pencee to ask to say a few words in them we will go around the table and have a discussion. vice president pence: thank you, mr. president.

thank you for your leadership on education. it was one of the first conversations we had. when you considered me for the position that i now hold and you expressed to me then and the summer of 2016 your belief that it ought to be parents that choose where their children go to school. i want to join you in thinking governor desantis for his leadership and governor patrick and the leadership represented by senators cruise and lee -- and especially i want to welcome the students, parents, and teachers here at your invitation. indiana,s governor of i was proud to be home as governor san -- governor -- when i was governor of indiana, we increased the enrollment in our voucher program from 4002 32,000

-- from 4000 to 32,000. the american people deserve to know that this is a president putting taxpayer resources to work. 521lready expanded the college savings accounts to let parents use those resources for k-12 education. participation in the d.c. voucher program is are ready up alreadythan 50% -- is up by more than 50%. we look forward to hearing from those gathered here about your proposal for the freedom scholarship program which we believe will expand educational choice opportunities to more than a million students around america. we believe the key to success for any child is a good

education. we believe that parents are best equipped to choose what is the best education for their children. your passion for educational choice. and thank you to secretary devos and especially the leaders, their parents, this dunes, and the teachers gathered for this important discussion. leavyent trump: mike would you like to say a few words? >> the joint economic committee which i chair will release a report tomorrow on educational pluralism which is a fancy word for a simple concept. more people more options in the area of k-12 public education and do so rather than having a monopolistic system. based ondid dates that -- one that dictates based on where a family lives where a

child will go to school. , these are decisions that have to be made at the state and local level. that the a few areas margins where the federal government can make a difference. sometimes it involves lifting federal restrictions. that is why i appreciate you having this meeting here today, mr. president. the fact that you are willing to ask questions that have not been asked in a long time. for a loten the door of americans to climb out of poverty. i am so glad you are supportive of school choice and educational pluralism. >> mr. president, thank you for your leadership in particular on school choice. you have already signed into law the most significant legislation that is ever passed in the history of our country. expanding college 529 plans so

parents can use them for k-12 education. i introduced this amendment. it was 50-50 on the floor of the senate and the vice president came down at 1:00 in the morning to cast the tie-breaking vote on brought -- on groundbreaking legislation. , and i have been proud to work with secretary devos who has been doing a great job. she is a courageous and principled education secretary. we have worked on legislation that would provide federal tax credits over 10 years for k-12 education and for workforce development. if and when we pass this, it will be the most significant federal civil rights or he of modern times. this is all about millions of city kids, african-american kids, hispanic kids trapped right now and desperate for hope and giving

them scholarships. it is only the corrupt bureaucracy telling them no. and you are fighting and those around the table kids a shot ate is also dream. this about men and women out of work, giving them workforce development, to get good high-paying jobs and provide for their family. there is nothing on the domestic front that i believe will have a longer lasting legacy in your presidency then if and when we get this done. thank you. pres. trump: thank you. >> mr. president, we know that education freedom works. we are grateful for your leadership on this issue. i am also grateful the other elected leadership here taking , to the vice president for his leadership in indiana. i would love to hear from some of the students and parents who are here and would suggest that

we do that. >> thank you for your support on education freedom. , wefamily in particular were able to have a big part in the drafting of a special needs scholarship. a tremendous number of families when samuel was born i was told not to have high expectations for his life. him to schoolnd until his sister could attend with him. they said, there is no need to be in a rush. until he graduates to teach him how to read. i said that is unacceptable. i tried volunteering. i went up and said, why would you not want to do this?

they said maybe you should try somewhere else, so i did. i took that as a personal challenge. there were options starting to emerge in ohio, but not for children with special needs. he was a forgotten child. because of that need, you know what, he still has a hope and a future in our community. front as athat family and we started lobbying at the state level and got the special needs scholarship past. sam was one of the first to take part in that. we were able to take part in starting a program, a learning program in our community, and there are hundreds of students that have benefited. thank you for helping without a fight. teachers are being held hostage in my opinion in the public system by not being able to get the opportunities they could with resources that are available simply because unions are grasping for those funds. to maked be allowed

choices. we, the parent. we know the children better than anyone else. given that opportunity in those resources, we have been able to make better education. sam, would you like to share about your experience? >> president, thanks for school choice. i am samuel myers and i am 25 years old. helped my dreams job in myand i have a community. i do things with my friends and

because of the skills i learned, my skill helped me learn that i -- i made many friends. helped meand teachers and become the best i can be. thank you for that. thank you for sharing my story. >> i will tell you what. that was beautifully done. [applause]

pres. trump: that was a fantastic job. thank you very much. [laughter] pres. trump: ron desantis, you have done a fantastic job with florida. into it, now much you have taken over. what a job you have done. could you give us a clue how to get it done on a very large basis? >> as a newly minted florida resident, i think you will appreciate -- [laughter] >> i think we are the number one state for school choice. studentslmost 120,000 on scholarship programs for low income families. we have a tax credit scholarship and a new family empowerment scholarship i was able to sign into law. that is primarily single moms working hard.

they just do not have the resources to be able to send their kids to the best fit. it is -- 70% are african-american or hispanic who are in this. the demand keeps growing because -- it is work, but we also have programs, scholarship program almost 30,000 students in florida are on paid scholarships, which are for students with disabilities, and we have almost 12,000 students on, we call them gardeners scholarships, that's for students with special needs. things like autism. we have 1000 students on hope scholarships, which are scholarships that we created for students who are being bullied and are not being treated well in the school they are zoned for. they have an opportunity to get in a better environment. and we have over 300,000 students in charter schools, which are public schools, but they are not run by the school district. they are run by their operators. here is an interesting stat.

i asked my education commissioner to give me something interesting coming up here. if you take all 300,000 students minority, but if you take all of those charters themade that its own state, nation's report card, florida charters would rank number five in the country. that is pretty significant. ,n our scholarship programs particularly the need-based, if you are on the program for four years or more, you are 40% more likely to graduate from college and somebody who is similarly situated. but i think the thing that gets lost is the result of also been good for our school districts. miami-dade county is the number one performing large school district in the country. 70% of the kids in miami-dade county do not go to the school they were zoned for.

that is a combination of private school choice, public charters, but have also really embraced magnet programs and all these other things. you have a big, diverse, all these languages being spoken, and yet the achievement has been better than other districts in the country. the final thing i will say is, what school choice has done, and as a businessman you will appreciate it, has given an opportunity for entrepreneurship. teachers who are in particularly inner-city, they say, you know what? i could make three or four changes, we could get better results, but i cannot because of the bureaucracy. they start their own private schools. because we have the scholarship program, they know they can make it work. their market would not have enough income to be able to do it. it has allowed for these educational entrepreneurs to do great things in the state of florida. as a florida resident, you should be proud of the stuff going on there.

and obviously want to keep the momentum going. florida had the best you're economically has ever had. okeechobee, a lot of money put into okeechobee, the dam and all aspects of it. that is on its way to being fixed, finally, after many decades of wanting to do it. we have also spent a lot of money in the everglades, and they have done a fantastic job in the everglades. you had the best economic year you have ever had, so congratulations. walter, how about a few words? >> first of all, thank you so much. thank you for your leadership on this issue. each and everyone of you fought for me before you even knew me. you are continuing to fight for kids across the country. i am from ohio, growing up in

columbus, i lifted. going toy friends were sleep with closed eyes, i was going to sleep to gunshots. education was my way out of that. my family did not have a lot. they could not give me everything i needed, but education was my ticket out of that lifestyle. there were people i grew up with that are either in prison now or six feet under in the grave. the only differences i had a way out. my education allowed me to get out of that situation and open me up to so much more than what i could even understand at the time. if you told fourth-grade walter he would be sitting next to the president speaking on a topic he was passionate about that changed his life, he would not believe you. the unlimited opportunity i have had because of my education. that is my story in a nutshell. table,e around this

thank you so much. it means a lot. that's an understatement. this changed my life. ,or people in my neighborhood this is life or death. because of the work each and i amone of you have done here today. i appreciate that. [applause] pres. trump: how about a few words? >> sure. thank you so much for having me, mr. president, mr. vice president, secretary devos, everyone for your advocacy in the work you have done. i would not be here had it not been for the people around this table doing the work they do. i'm originally from newark, new jersey. i am the product of a charter school. my school literally saved my life and my family.

i remember when my mom first told me i was transferring. i was very upset because i did not want to go to a school and where uniform, i did not want to wake up early. i did not want to do the extra work. into a mother put me school that was intentional in its approach with all of us, it was not just about me going to school. it was a school that was created for the community by the community and that school wrapped its arms around myself, my sisters. my sister went to a charter school and now she is in the air force. we are the first in our family to graduate from college. just to bring it full circle, one of my friends who was originally in charter school transferred out. she did not make it to her 24th birthday. she was swallowed up in our community and not in a good way because she did not have the community in her school to be there for her. i am thankful for my charter school and for all the people here with work that allowed more charter schools to open and more

educational scholarships to be open. thank you. [applause] >> i am a current student. at one of the best schools in my home state of pennsylvania. i would like to take a moment to thank leaders within the trump administration and those for their continuous work in scholarship programs like the one that allows me to attend my school. their continued dedication, their devotion. school choice opens up doors that would otherwise be slammed shut. as a young african american male in a low-income neighborhood, it is more likely that i would be a drop out of high school or in prison in this moment than speaking with you, discussing the importance of education freedom for all students despite zip code, background, race.

i believe that in conjunction nationwide,choice available for all people and also+, you know, decisive and intentional and investment into education reform that we will see true change in our nation. it will be more than one moment where it worked out for a few years. this could be a true pillar in change. it could be the true foundation. i believe all american children deserve a better chance at education equality. i want to thank you for your time and allowing me to speak. [applause] want to do: what you after education? state,an to attend penn one of the permit are colleges in our state. i want to study biology and minor in microbiology and move on to medical school and become

a practicing psychiatrist. pres. trump: i could use you. [laughter] that's great. great job. what do you want to do? >> i am here in d.c. working on education reform. i love it. i love being able to advocate for students like myself. pres. trump: can ventilations. congratulations. samuel, what do you have planned? >> my plan is --

pres. trump: that is great ambition. that is fantastic. thank you, samuel. beautiful job. thank you very much. walter, what do you have planned? coming for the white house. [applause] [laughter] pres. trump: how are you? >> i am doing good. thank you for having me. i am pleased to be here. thank you for hearing our stories. this is a very pressing issue and i think -- i think you for your assertive leadership and we need to ensure more students have access to success like we have. from, there's a community resources.

poor public schools. i failed the third grade twice attending my public school. it was not until i received a scholarship to attend private school that my life really changed for the better. things to education freedom, i became the first in my family to receive a highs will diploma and then a masters degree. i now exercise school choice for my 17-year-old sister to ensure that she receives a highs will diploma. i want to personally think my own governor desantis for empowering more students in the state of florida. thank you. haveyear, more students demand with more 18,000 low income students wanting scholarships, but the work is not done. i know that all of you at the --le came to fight for the so that every student has the

opportunity to receive a great education. across this country, too many children are having adverse childhood experiences in school. that is just wrong. legislation can help all students deserve the freedom to choose. action is required. thank you so much for listening to our stories and thank you for your action. pres. trump: great job. thank you very much. [applause] pres. trump: and bradley? you have had a lot of experience. you have seen it all different ways. what you think? >> mr. president, i want to thank you for your courage. to step out on this like you have, like the secretary has, means a lot. there are 85 sponsors for this legislation. it is growing. as an seeing your courage example to do the same thing.

you would do that if you came from a school like -- a state like alabama and florida. the secretary and i got the two our the first -- t charter school in alabama. this was their last chance. toldis the first time i'm they have had integrated schools in the county in 30 years. quality drop people together. when i was on the state school board 25 years ago in alabama, every year it is the same schools. if we lock parents and children into those same failing schools, year after year, we are going to get terrible results. the worst part of that is if you -- you brought all

these jobs back to america. it does not do any good if people do not have the skills. we have to do this. 85, myself and 84 others, we are going to get every republican on this bill and start working on democrats as well. this issue should not be a democrat issue or a republican issue. this should be an american issue. we don't take opportunity away from people. we give it to them. pres. trump: great job. thank you. >> i was going to suggest you may call on represented john berry. he has some experience from the opposite perspective. >> mr. president, mr. vice president, secretary devos. i appreciate being here. we have been talking about this so many years. to put a face on this with these young folks who have already

too often, kids get lost. they are statistics. to put a face on it, when you talk about school choice over the years, you're going to cherry pick. let's putis always, more cherries on the tree. [laughter] menf we cherry pick young who come to the white house or young men and women who go to medical school, these kids will be left out. everybody cherry picks. every medical school, every law school, every university. sure,e have to do is make and that is why support education choice. the story about the young man and his colleagues, they

schoolhouse to jailhouse pipeline is open. innovate withan education to keep them from going. in the second grade, she was going to a school, a neighborhood school she was assigned to. she came home with a note on her jacket one day. -- we went to the school. my wife said, what is this about? the teacher said, your child can't read. readfe said, she could when i centre to you. that schoolized was was not living up to what we expected for our child. i asked my child be transferred from this class. they said no. i asked if she would be transferred from the school. they said no. awent the same day and got second job.

i put her in private school and we paid tuition because she was my responsibility. right to makehe that choice for their children. they don't want anyone to make that choice for them. they pay taxes. many are veterans. they pay for homes. they work hard. they want to say, i want my kid to go to this school because i want them on par with everybody else. thank you so much again for what you have done. i hope you will continue. pres. trump: thank you. appreciate it. [applause] >> thank you, mr. president. i am a native washingtonian. i graduated high school here in d.c..

i am also a former educator. both have earned need-based merit-based scholarships. our eldest son earned the saint ignatius loyola award. he is working in public relations. son -- he isngest currently going to private school. seen educators doing phenomenal work in the classroom . public, private, or otherwise. our children deserve to be educated in safe, nurturing, cultivating environments.

conducive to learning and growing. education freedom means to me -- parents children set them up for a lifetime of success. there is no one cookie-cutter formula that works for every person. access toen deserve excellent educational experiences. scholarship opportunities open up doors. thank you for your time. [applause] trump: lieutenant governor of texas, very much involved in education. please. >> thank you, mr. president. a lot of us have been on this

road a long time. for school choice, charter schools, and to have your full leadership on this issue means a lot to us. fight int weary in a the opposition is strong, all have to do is be inspired by miles and sam. >> [indiscernible] >> you never quit. what you realize and what parents and students realize, you cannot live the american dream without a quality job. you cannot have a quality job without a quality education. when you deny a child's education, you take their life away. they never have a chance to recover. when you cut that pipeline from schoolhouse to jailhouse, that will be the biggest prison reform bill we have ever passed. in texas, we have a robust

charter program. we build as fast as we can. we still have 150,000 parents always in line because they want opportunity. it is not to say we don't have great quality public schools. we do. but not every school is an a school and every parent deserves an a school. we now grade every public school a through f. like they grade our kids. it has been great at generating competition and awareness. parents say, wait, i thought my school was good, but it is only a c. it is the civil rights issue of our time. thank you for this. in texas we have 6 million kids. schoolsmore kids in that 32 states have in people.

pres. trump: thank you very much. anybody else? president,u, mr. monsieur vice president, and secretary devos for your leadership on this issue. i served as lead plaintiff in richards versus california teachers association, which led unionismm from forced for all government employees of the united states. teachers support school choice because we believe in putting the children first. self-serving unions for hundreds of millions of money into defeating choice. unions claim to speak for teachers but i am here to tell you they do not. the union i was forced to fund brought great damage to my own students, my profession, my own

son. my niece nicole is earning deas and at. -- d's and f's. we found an amazing charter school for nicole. andgrades soared to a's b's. nicole is back to d's and f's. now this christmas, she will tell me that she is dumb and i will do everything to tell her that she is brilliant and beautiful, but she will not believe me because her report card and the union give the final report. these abuses and thousands more are why we sued. the obama administration and

california leadership intervened against us. us the spawneled of satan. we were poised to win. there was a tragic deadlock in our case. amazingly, we won on our first day. they still have strongholds. voicesve silenced our and they are chasing many great teachers out of the classroom. i am here to give voice to great teachers. beents and teachers must empowered to work together.

all children should receive an outstanding education and a school of their family's choice. unions will fight tooth and nail. you can count on it. we are counting on you for education of freedom for everyone. thank you. [applause] quest mr. president, thank you very much. i am the speaker of the house for pennsylvania. -- to youretary devos and secretary devos, thank you. i am going to use harrisburg, our principal city. it is over twice the national average. performance rates, despite the fact that the school district --

7.1% proficiency in algebra. 13 .6% proficiency in english. the mayor of harrisburg, the state representative, each of them sends their children to private schools. why can't everybody have that opportunity, if they want it? we see the school choice as a way to say that one size does not fit all. think that in infused program , we already have the program in place. opportunities,ed but we really went big. on wait listss

were not able to take advantage of these reticular scholarships. we will continue to pursue that endeavor. we are going to work hand-in-hand with the state scholarships to provide semi opportunities for 70 students across the u.s., and we truly support your work. we will work strongly in our state. thank you for your leadership. pres. trump: thank you. you are doing a great job and our schools are doing a great job. how are things going? how are the records? >> the lowest unemployment rate in recorded time thanks to the great work that you are doing. without a doubt, you are putting

manufacturing opportunities and energy growth opportunities and independenceent for the state of pennsylvania. folks areed trade building a petrochemical , both national and state policy are moving in the right direction. thanks to your tax cuts and .egulatory reforms they grew by 6.4%. we have not seen that kind of growth in a very long time. your leadership is making that happen. pres. trump: the steel industries are doing very well because of the tariffs. the steel companies are doing incredibly well.

they were ready to close up, all of them, and now they are doing great. really incredible, untold stories. companies, soeel we have had very good news in pennsylvania. story. the we are working hard on education and the happening at a rapid rate. thank you very much. great job. you will get it done. fantastic representatives here. we are having good luck with everything. thank you so much for everything. [applause] pres. trump: i am hearing very

good things. i'm hearing from unions and others that they are looking good. if they put it up to a vote, it will pass. but ik forward to that, am hearing that they are doing very well. the worst trade deal ever made was nafta. we have some other ones coming. some others that are very important, but this is a big deal. our canadian border does a lot of business. far.iggest in the world by and i amda, very big, hearing a lot of strides have been made with unions and others, so thank you very much.

it is a disgrace to our country. it is a hoax and it should never be allowed to happen again. and q, very much. you all, very much. >> c-span's washington journal live every day with policy issues that impact you. coming up, we are getting your reaction to the house judiciary meeting. ,oin us that your phone calls facebook comments and your tweet. journal andgton join the discussion.